UK Ministers 'covered up' gun crime

Interesting article (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2328368.ece) on the gun battle in the UK

Found the link to it in this article (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336689,00.html) on Fox News about the Heller v DC case coming up.

I tried searching for a related thread but found none.

August 26, 2007
Ministers 'covered up' gun crime
David Leppard

THE government was accused yesterday of covering up the full extent of the gun crime epidemic sweeping Britain, after official figures showed that gun-related killings and injuries had risen more than fourfold since 1998.

The Home Office figures - which exclude crimes involving air weapons - show the number of deaths and injuries caused by gun attacks in England and Wales soared from 864 in 1998-99 to 3,821 in 2005-06. That means that more than 10 people are injured or killed in a gun attack every day.

This weekend the Tories said the figures challenged claims by Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, that gun crime was falling. David Davis, the shadow home secretary, tells her in a letter today that the “staggering findings” show her claims that gun crime has fallen are “inaccurate and misleading”.

The political row erupted as Merseyside police continued to question a 15-year-old boy about the murder last week of Rhys Jones in Croxteth, Liver-pool. The 11-year-old was returning from football training when he was shot by a hooded teenager on a bicycle.
How worried should we be about gun crime?

Serious gun crime is concentrated in particular parts of England; internationally, the country has a low death rate from guns
Background

* Factfile: teenagers gunned down across UK

* Three murders in four days in South London

* We Shall Overcome, protesters sing at peace vigil

Related Links

* Applause, not silence, is tribute to Rhys

* Gang murder ‘anniversary’ that may have killed Rhys

* Police fiddle while children are killed

Multimedia

* Rhys Jones shooting

Experts are examining a BMX bike abandoned in another area of the city. Six other teenagers, including two girls, from the Croxteth and Norris Green areas were in custody last night. Two others have been released on bail.

Senior officers believe Rhys died because he walked into the line of fire between the gunman and his intended target, who is thought to have been one of three teenagers 30-70 yards away.

Bernard Hogan-Howe, the chief constable of Merseyside, said yesterday: “We still need help in solving this crime. We need witnesses who are prepared to stand up in court.”

Hogan-Howe said he had invested “a huge amount of policing” into the gang-related problems in the Croxteth area and had had a great deal of success.

A minute’s applause was held yesterday at Goodison Park stadium where Everton, the team Rhys loved, were playing Black-burn Rovers. The 11-year-old’s murder has led to a public outcry against Britain’s gang and gun culture and a furious political debate about the government’s efforts to tackle the problem.

Smith last night proposed the setting up of neutral “drop-off zones” where illegal weapons could be handed in. “This means we can actually take that gun out of circulation and stop it from doing harm,” she said.

The Home Office has repeatedly denied gun crime is rising. Last week it pointed to the latest annual crime statistics, which appeared to show that overall gun crime was 13% down on the previous year.

But in his letter to Smith, released today, Davis said these claims were contradicted by figures “buried” in a Home Office statistical bulletin, published ear-lier this year. “[Here] we find the most revealing indication of the true gun-re-lated violence sweeping Britain. Gun-related killings and injuries (excluding air weapons) have increased over fourfold since 1998,” he wrote.

Rhys’s killing fell on the anniversary of the fatal shooting of Liam Smith, a senior figure in a local gang known as the Strand Gang. Several members of the rival Croxteth Crew were found guilty of his murder.

Locals had said they believed members of the Strand Gang were planning a reprisal shooting to mark the anniversary.

“We always deploy additional resources around these anniversaries,” said Chief Superintendent Chris Armitt. “But we are over half a mile here from Croxteth, and Norris Green is further away again. The additional resources [were] focused only where gangs predominantly operate.”

Extract from letter by David Davis, shadow home secretary, to Jacqui Smith, home secretary, August 24, 2007

Dear Jacqui, We are all concerned at the rising tide of violent crime that has manifested itself this week in a spate of shocking killings, including the tragic death of young Rhys Jones. You told GMTV this morning that “statistics aren’t a help but gun crime is down”. That is an extraordinary claim.

According to Home Office figures, gun crime (excluding air weapons) has almost doubled since Labour took office. The annual crime figures, released by the Home Office in July, suggest a 13% decrease on the previous year, which neglects the 18% increase in firearm homicides.

However, perhaps most telling is the massive increase in gun violence, disclosed on 25 January of this year (Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2005-06, Home Office). Buried at page 36 . . . we find [that] . . . gun-related killings and injuries (excluding airguns) have increased by over fourfold since 1998.

In light of this information, your claim that gun crime is down is both inaccurate and misleading. One clear fact on gun-related violence is that if you don’t count it, you won’t be able to tackle it. Your predecessors opted for spin over substance. I hope that is a path you will avoid and would be grateful for an explanation of what action you plan.

"Smith last night proposed the setting up of neutral “drop-off zones” where illegal weapons could be handed in. “This means we can actually take that gun out of circulation and stop it from doing harm,” she said."

Newsflash: The cat is out of the bag. The cat is out of the bag....of course since August I think we haven't heard much different from them.

Beagle-zebub

March 11, 2008, 12:12 PM

So covering up faulty crime statistics DOESN'T make the problem go away?

Politically speaking, it does. :D

Standing Wolf

March 11, 2008, 12:23 PM

THE government was accused yesterday of covering up the full extent of the gun crime epidemic sweeping Britain...

Some mean virus, I guess. So sad.

Baba Louie

March 11, 2008, 12:54 PM

Ahhhh, Perfidious Albion. While the figures look bad, the Brits still can't hold a candle to good old American crime statistics.

Out of a population of 50,000,000 (+/-) there were only 3400 injury/deaths due to illegal gun use? A walk in the park I tell ya.

Heck, just taking California alone, out of an estimated pop. of 36,000,000 I can easily find 2400 homicides along with a factor ranging from 7 - 10X that for GSW (non-death) which would mean a total ranging from 19,000 up to 26,000 (statistics, while not a strong suit of mine are fun to play around with and these numbers vary from report to report, year to year with 2003 being the last year I quickly found online). IIRC approx only 26% of the CA numbers were gang related and I'd bet that the UK shows a higher propensity of gang related shootings than the US, as most of the British Empire are law-abiding (as is most of the US population).

You guys just aren't trying very hard over there. Granted we have more firearms and probably more dis-satisfied 'yutes' wit guns over here, but, if you're going to run with the big dogs ya gotta get up off the porch every now and then. Personally, I like the idea of letting the sleeping dog lie there on his porch, not to mention allowing the law-abiding populace the RKBA's. (Like THAT's gonna ever happen!)

I personally am shocked that a government agency would obfuscate and incorrectly present statistical data that might make them look, you know, not so rosy. Hey, sometimes you gotta say something to get the necessary funding you need to deal with the issue doncha? Or is that just a US of A thing?

RedLion

March 11, 2008, 03:23 PM

gun crime epidemic sweeping Britain

Once again, I don't think the guns are invading Britain, but at least they added the crime part after it. It's a start.

MechAg94

March 11, 2008, 04:44 PM

Baba Louie, what is the overall violent crime rate there involving all attacks no matter the weapon?

For a country that supposedly bans/controls all handguns, I find it interesting that you have that high of a rate and it is increasing.

TEDDY

March 11, 2008, 04:51 PM

one of the big problems in britain is the ethnic population that has emigrated to the british Islands.also the way the statistics are presented.a multipul killing is presented as one killing.:rolleyes::confused::uhoh:

Fish828

March 11, 2008, 04:55 PM

i don't know if ethnicity has to do with the crimes...i would say it's more like economic class/financial situation or opportunity or location/population density...

Titan6

March 11, 2008, 04:57 PM

Britian is pretty much done as a sovereign nation. The parliment voted against the referendum to allow the people to decide if they want to give up portions of their consitutional law in favor of the EU.

At this point the people are just bystanders as their government runs along without them.

romma

March 11, 2008, 05:00 PM

“This means we can actually take that gun out of circulation and stop it from doing harm,”

Says it all... It's the guns fault, just like I thought to begin with.

Ash

March 11, 2008, 05:41 PM

And like the UK, our worst gun crime occurs in those places with the most restrictive laws.

Ash

Starship1st

March 11, 2008, 06:29 PM

Yes they cover up the gun crimes to keep up tourism. Reality is that gun-free zones don't work.:cool:

Broadhead

March 11, 2008, 06:42 PM

From the story in the first post: "The Home Office figures - which exclude crimes involving air weapons"

As in Luftwaffe?

eric.cartman

March 11, 2008, 06:45 PM

"Smith last night proposed the setting up of neutral “drop-off zones” where illegal weapons could be handed in. “This means we can actually take that gun out of circulation and stop it from doing harm,” she said."

What is the definition of insanity???

Ash

Ash, you so owe me a new keyboard :what:

Cromlech

March 11, 2008, 07:06 PM

Doesn't surprise me in the least. These people will tweak, skew, and distort the figures however they wish.

General Geoff

March 11, 2008, 07:11 PM

Ministry of Truth, anyone?

Eightball

March 11, 2008, 07:44 PM

“We always deploy additional resources around these anniversaries,” said Chief Superintendent Chris Armitt. “But we are over half a mile here from Croxteth, and Norris Green is further away again. The additional resources [were] focused only where gangs predominantly operate.”Holy Crap, they would have had to have driven or walked OVER HALF A MILE. :what:

Truly a sad reflection on their LEOs if they look at a half-mile, or better yet, "twice that"--1 mile--as a "far off distance" and offer that as an excuse.

Crunker1337

March 11, 2008, 07:53 PM

one of the big problems in britain is the ethnic population that has emigrated to the british Islands.also the way the statistics are presented.a multipul killing is presented as one killing.

Please elaborate.

george29

March 11, 2008, 07:58 PM

I love it when government is caught in a lie.

Gunnerpalace

March 11, 2008, 08:49 PM

have increased over fourfold since 1998

Right after you made them illegal?

Rampancy IMO.

Deer Hunter

March 11, 2008, 11:27 PM

I hope you dont mind, but I've posted this on my facebook account as a Note for others to see.

Nothing like getting the word out.

jrfoxx

March 11, 2008, 11:43 PM

So, who wants to take bets on whether this but in info/truth will cause the Brady Campaign to stop trotting out merry old England as the model for solving violent crime? I vote no, the will continue. Any takers? I mean, they never let facts and the truth stop them befre, why start now. In fact, maybe they are where the Home Office got thier traing in lies and manipulation of statistics from.Maybe the Bradys teach it like the NRA teaches safety courses.Anyone here have there Brady Basic Lies, Manipulation, and Obfusctaion Training Course certificate yet?:D

ConfuseUs

March 12, 2008, 04:20 AM

Of course they covered it up. Gun control is a sacred cow in UK politics and its supporters don't want to face the reality that tough control of the legal gun market is not elimination of the illegal gun market. Second (and more troubling for British society) is that the UK has a growing violent crime problem and there are no meaningful proposals for dealing with.